


Like a Fool (too trusting)

by Flammenkobold



Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: Angst, Betrayal, Drowning, Gen, Infected Characters, Near Death Experiences
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-02 14:16:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21163010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flammenkobold/pseuds/Flammenkobold
Summary: Of course, Oscar thinks hysterically. Of course. This is how it ends.





	Like a Fool (too trusting)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Shoulder_Devil](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shoulder_Devil/gifts).

Of course, Oscar thinks hysterically. Of course. This is how it ends. He should’ve seen this coming. Of course. He made the same mistake twice, like the absolute fool he is. His thoughts are becoming more and more erratic with the lack of oxygen and the water in his ears makes it feel like a whole ocean is pressing down on his mind.

Zolf promised, didn’t he.

Now Oscar is about to die in a bucket of all things. He kicks out, one last attempt at freeing himself, unable to use any of his spells. It’s useless. Zolf was always stronger than him, even before-

He involuntarily gasps for air but there is none, only the water now rushing into his lungs. Black dots start swimming in his vision and his limbs grow heavy. It’s almost amazing how little water it needs to drown someone.

He should’ve noticed. He should’ve checked. 

He didn’t. 

Again. 

And this time it’s going to get him finally killed. Zolf doesn’t do anything by half, unlike -

Then he is free, gulping in air. Someone else pulls him away, drags him over to the wall, away from the bucket. His vision is still swimming and all he sees is a blur of black and green and a giant blob of pink. When the first healing spell rushes through him, he starts coughing up water. By the time he can focus on his surroundings again, Azu has positioned herself between him and Zolf - the thing that used to be Zolf. 

“What happened?” she yells back and sounds freaked out. Oscar understands the sentiment all too well. 

“He’s infected.”

“Great!” Grizzop says and one of his arrows lodges itself in Zolf’s arm. Zolf turns to Grizzop, and Wilde can see the spell before Zolf can cast it. Oscar mutters something under his breath and Zolf’s magic fizzles out. 

“Don’t kill him,” he manages to say.

The fight after that is brutal, but shorter than it could’ve been. Oscar is still too out of it to manage much, except make sure neither Grizzop or Azu fall.

Azu ties up Zolf, her hands steady but nearly hesitant. Afterwards she gently places them on his forehead, wipes away a streak of blood, while her fingers glow a soft pink.

“I should have been more careful,” Oscar says.

“We all should’ve been,” Azu says, a bit too harshly, a bit too self-accusatory, then her voice softens. “It’s not your fault,” she tries to reassure him and perhaps herself.

Meanwhile Grizzop has walked back over to him, looking Oscar over sharply, as he slings his bow over his shoulder. “You look terrible,” he says and slaps his hands against Oscar’s thigh none to gently. Seconds later Oscar can feel warming healing magic flow through him. 

“Thank you,” he says and sounds painfully sincere. 

Grizzop squints at him for a second and then his expression morphs into a grin. “Aren’t you glad you brought me back?” he asks teasingly. Wilde slumps against the wall and lets out a shaky laugh.

“Immensely,” he admits. He closes his eyes and swallows hard. “You’ll have to quarantine me too,” he says tiredly and doesn’t look at Grizzop or Azu

“We have only one cell and that’s occupied now,” Grizzop reminds him. 

“Then we’ll have to come up with something temporary.”

“Okay fine, here is your deal. You do anything funky, I’ll shoot you.”

“Grizzop - “ Oscar says and opens his eyes again.

Grizzop is giving him a smile that has too many teeth and too much bite. “Agreed?”

They stare at each other for a moment. “Agreed,” Oscar finally grits out.

“Good,” Grizzop says, and when Oscar doesn’t answer he adds, “We’ll get him back.” He says it calmly, as if it is an immutable fact. 

Oscar is a fool. He wasn’t careful enough before, believed too carelessly that things would work out just fine. It’s gotten him nearly killed twice now. But Gods help him, Oscar finds himself wanting to believe Grizzop anyway.


End file.
